The Count's Conflict of Conscience
by gGirl02
Summary: Beginning with the eerie carriage ride to the castle, Dracula begins to waver between personas that ultimately result in his downfall. Dracula's alternate ego takes on a life of its own, & Vlad is thrown into conflict as his good & evil side battle it out
1. Curse & Separation

I wrote this for a British Literature project this year. I already received my grade, but I'm hoping to improve the story more. Any reviews or suggestions would be appreciated :)

My original subplot of Dracula. The story follows Stoker's plot line at certain parts, but the majority is my take on Vlad's POV throughout the first few chapters. Enjoy!

--I do not own Dracula, by Bram Stoker. I am not making any profit off this story, nor do I claim rights to the original book--

* * *

Summary:

Count Vlad Dracula's point of view is explored in this original subplot of Stoker's Dracula. Vlad's experiences with Jonathan Harker, a young and vibrant lawyer, take on a new light as Dracula is thrown into the spotlight while Jonathan fades into the background. Delve deeper into the heart of a vampire than ever before, and observe the complex plot as only Dracula can.

**The Count's Conflict of Conscience**

Frosty wind cut through thick air, swirling around the daunting courtyard. Two black horses stood hooked up to an ethereal carriage. To the left of the Stagecoach, a mysterious figure began to materialize from the shadows, closing in rapidly on the animals. They let out a unanimous cry, flinging their large heads down in fear and releasing steam through their nostrils.

The phantom raised its head and flashed his black eyes in the direction of the creatures. They became still and fell under the suffocating influence of the shape, Count Vlad Dracula. The Count closed his eyes, taking in distinct scents of the night.

A silvery moon cast a cold glow across his face and whitened his already blanched visage. Ahead of the castle, leagues of cliffs tore at the sky and stretched toward the distant stars, their harsh ridges being softened only by myriads of pine trees. The tyrain purple sky spilled onto the scenery, painting cobblestone paths a terrifying shade of plum. Wolves bayed in the distance, their wails bouncing off the disorderly landscape. A monstrous castle seemed to lance the muddy ground. Foreboding and gray, it stood as a warning to all who entered Transylvania. Windows, adorned with cracks and cobwebs, displayed nothing but the smoldering darkness that plagued both the interior and exterior of the edifice.

Dracula mounted the head of the carriage and set off into the distance to pick up his latest victim. His eyes monitored the position of the moon and he cracked his whip and hurried the horses every time it shifted in the sky. After traveling along miles of dense forest, he finally pulled up to Borgo Pass and stopped the carriage next to a tall young man - the lawyer named Jonathan Harker. Dracula looked down at the lad, the boy's soft face half obscured by fog. The Count loaded Jonathan's baggage into the carriage and then proceeded to transport him back to Castle Dracula.

When the pair arrived at the castle, Dracula unloaded the luggage and dropped Jonathan off at the door. He then shook the horse's reins, and drove the carriage forward. When he was out of Mr. Harker's view, he kicked off the seat and propelled himself into the black sky.

* * *

A swift knock cut through the silence in the castle. Dracula drifted toward the massive door and opened it before a second knock came. He welcomed Mr. Harker politely, directed him to his room, and engaged in deep conversation for a while. The skyline began to illuminate from a few small rays of sunshine that speared through the horizon. Vlad shifted his attention away from Mr. Harker and toward a brightening window. Panic distorted his bizarre features, and he bid Jonathan goodnight.

The count rushed into his chamber and drew the curtains, masking the climbing sun outside. He collapsed into a sizable red chair and wiped a bead of sweat off his brow. Glancing back at the draperies, Vlad rose and hovered in front of them for a while, finally throwing back the heavy material and bathing himself in the pale sunlight. Blinding pain drilled through his appendages and his body began to convulse and stretch.

A gruesome sight indeed, a second body seemed to tear away from the trembling man, until finally two men stood face to face in front of the window. One, a deadly pale, predatory man; the other, a mirror image of the first, save for the healthy color in his cheeks. The ashen one quickly retreated into the sanctuary of a dark corner, then rose to full height.

_ "Dear brother, I trust you weren't attempting to assassinate me,"_ the vampire chortled. _"You must know that the sun is simply... dreadful for my pasty complexion..."_

* * *

TBC. Read & review please!


	2. The Vampire's Control

Well, I'm disappointed about the lack of reviews, but I promised I'd continue to post this story. Please, I'd love some feedback...anything :D

* * *

**Chapter Two**

_ "Dear brother, I trust you weren't attempting to assassinate me,"_ the vampire chortled. _"You must know that the sun is simply... dreadful for my pasty complexion."_

Vlad quivered, panting heavily and stood fully drenched in light. His eyes lit up in furor at the clone's words. _"Damn you...you monster! How dare you force me to lure that young lad here!"_ He stomped his foot upon the frigid floor. _"I cannot do this anymore! My soul throbs from this never-ending curse! My thirst is insatiable, my hunger, unappeasable. Grief feeds upon my spirit so similar to the way you feed upon your feeble victims... draining them..." _His voice trailed off as his glassy eyes stared into space.

The two men stood as complete opposites, rather, conflicting personas of the same individual. The endless power struggle between righteousness and sin beleaguered Count Dracula and tore at his sanity, forcing him to conceive an alternate ego. But which man was the illusion?

The wicked looking creature simply smirked, his sizable incisors dropping down over crimson lips. _"Do me a favor, brother, and groan about your pitiful existence someplace else. The tension really is not good for our heart."_ The vicious man snarled as he pointed toward his vein-laden chest that pulsated violently. With that, he threw on an overcoat and headed out the heavy door into a gloomy hallway.

He fastened some frilled fabric closed as he slinked down the desolate hall toward his prisoner's room. When the vampire reached Mr. Harker's doorway, he exposed a terrifyingly long and boney finger. He wedged it in the keyhole, and with a swift rotation of the hand, unlocked it.

He entered the chamber, but saw no sign of Jonathan. The breakfast table seemed to have been discovered already and some soiled plates remained on the surface. Dracula slid quietly toward the adjacent bathroom, and finding it open, proceeded into the room. Mr. Harker stood over an iron basin, absorbed in something or another, and stared carefully into the square mirror in front of him. The vampire reached out with a bony hand and grabbed Jonathan's broad shoulder.

_ "Good Morning,"_ The Count said, causing Harker to turn promptly on his heel to face the source of the voice. When Jonathan's surprised face came into view, the monster apologized for his intrusion. It seemed he had been shaving. The boy turned back around and studied himself in the glass, then faced the Count once more.

Dracula's pupils darted downward slightly and focused on a tiny spot of blood forming on Jon's cheek that he hadn't noticed earlier. His eyes slowly filled up with a blackish dye that twirled around his scarlet veins. Sweat started to jump down his frightening face, and the vampire's heart swelled and lurched beneath his burning skin. His fangs began to enlarge as pure hunger coursed through his body and clouded his vision...

While the vampire began to lose control in the lavatory, Vlad observed from the doorway. His mind raced, and as his foe's hand bolted toward Jonathan's neck, Vlad leapt out of the doorway. He crashed into the vampire and merged with him, throwing the moving hand down onto Jonathan's crucifix.

His hand started to hiss and melt, and Dracula withdrew. Straightening himself and grasping Jonathan's shaving cup, he said evenly,_ "Take care how you cut yourself. It may be very dangerous in this country..."_ With that, he flung it out the open window and rushed out of the chamber, leaving Jonathan shocked and confused...

* * *

TBC, Read and Review please!


	3. A Deadly Engagement

Okay, last chapter. Thanks to all who reviewed/added me to their alerts. Hope you enjoyed the story.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Once in the hall, Dracula clutched his spinning skull. He placed his palms against the cold wall and rested his head on it. _"Cursed, cursed life! Why I must transform at every bantam aroma of warming fluid!" _He skimmed the floor and floated to his room once again.

Ripping off his smock, Dracula's body began to separate again. Candlelight cast haunting images around the room, and Dracula's cries of pain could be heard over the shuddering yellow foliage outside. After the division was complete, Vlad seized a nearby dagger. Holding it viciously, he advanced on his sinful counterpart, the vampire. The two struggled and let out tempestuous roars. The vampire brought down his murderous claws, clamped one around the blade and used the other to slash Vlad's face. Blood trickled down Vlad's nose and trailed down his chin.

_"Brother...please, end this madness..."_ Vlad pleaded, dread filling his human eyes. _"Put the dagger down. Without me, you will not be able to control yourself... j-just look at what we have become already!"_ He paused, studying the beast's lifeless expression as an involuntary shudder racked his body.

_"It is you who have become the monster Vlad. You who are so eager to dispose of me."_ The vampire spat as he let his mouth expand and his teeth lengthen, holding his jaw inches away from Vlad's neck. Saliva dripped off the fangs and dribbled down the man's chest. _"You are forced to hide from humanity - forced to develop into someone you are not. Yes, the sun rises and brings light to the masses, but you… we are restricted by its blazing illumination." _Vlad's eyes widened as he surveyed his enemy's sickening mouth.

_"It is you who must contain our impulses, you who must dwell in the shadows while all else enjoy the alabaster world. You know what you are truly meant to be; it is the humans who cannot accept it,"_ he spat. _"Now, accept your fate openly, so we can finally destroy the human side that holds us back. It is the only way we will survive."_

Vlad understood and closed his eyes slowly, waiting for the strike. He felt two teeth press against his soft flesh. They pushed against the neck, ready to puncture.

Unexpectedly, Vlad jumped back in pure terror, and raced toward the exit. Grasping the cold knob, he prepared to wrench it open, however something powerful crushed him against the wall. The next thing he knew, stabbing agony gripped his entire body.

Vlad felt life escape his body, as if it was being torn from him. He crumbled to the floor, Count Dracula standing over his cadaver. The demon watched as the remains dissolved before his eyes, until there was no corpse below him. Unfazed, He walked over to the small walnut desk and began to pen a letter to Jonathan's advisor, Mr. Hawkins:

* * *

Sir Hawkins,

I acknowledge the genius in Jonathan Harker that you described in your previous letter. He and I are getting along just wonderfully, and I've developed such a fondness for the lad. I beg your permission for the young man to stay just a trifle longer. There are still some small property matters that must be resolved before Mr. Harker takes his leave. I estimate that Jonathan will be prepared to return to England on June 29. I'm sure an apt gentleman such as you won't mind the delay. I shall make sure everything is set for his departure when the time comes. As I remember, the journey back to England is a long one...

Your friend,

Count Vlad Dracula

* * *

Thanks for reading! Review please!!


End file.
